Push type mechanical pencils generally employ a rearwardly extending actuator button which is depressed to advance the lead from the forward tip of the instrument. Push pencils of this type have two important advantages over mechanical pencils having a rotary or twist type lead advancing mechanism. One such advantage is that actuation is simpler and more convenient. A second advantage is the fact that the pencil need be loaded with lead much less frequently because a plurality of lead sticks placed in the cartridge are automatically fed seriatem to the lead advancing mechanism in the cartridge. Nevertheless, for esthetic and other reasons twist type lead advancing mechanisms have been used extensively in high quality writing instruments.
However, it would be desirable to provide a high quality writing instrument which is attractive in appearance, has a long maintenance-free life, and yet employs a push type, continuous feed, lead advancing mechanism.